Lesson 4.1.1.4

4.1.1.4 Situational variables in obedience: Milgram's proximity, location and uniform Quiz: AQA Psychology, Unit 1

20 questions

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Lesson 4.1.1.4, Situational variables in obedience: Milgram's proximity, location and uniform: 20 multiple choice questions for the AQA Psychology (7182), Unit 1: Introductory topics in Psychology, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. In Milgram's baseline study, what percentage of participants were fully obedient, going to the maximum 450 volts?

    • 40 per cent
    • 65 per cent
    • 30 per cent
    • 0 per cent

  2. What happened to obedience when the teacher and learner were in the same room?

    • Obedience fell, to around 40 per cent in one variation
    • Obedience rose to 100 per cent in every case
    • Obedience was unchanged from the baseline
    • Obedience fell to zero because participants refused completely

  3. What happened when the teacher had to physically hold the learner's hand onto a shock plate?

    • The learner was released immediately without any shocks
    • Obedience increased to 90 per cent
    • Obedience was unaffected by any physical contact
    • Obedience fell further, to around 30 per cent

  4. In Milgram's location variation, what happened when the study moved to a run-down office in Bridgeport?

    • Obedience rose to 100 per cent because the setting felt less formal
    • Obedience was identical to the Yale baseline in every way
    • Obedience fell compared with the Yale laboratory baseline
    • Participants refused to start the study at all

  5. Why might a prestigious location such as Yale increase obedience?

    • It makes the participants feel more relaxed so they stop questioning orders
    • It means the participant is more likely to be paid
    • It removes the learner from the room so there is no empathy
    • It signals the legitimacy of the authority and the experiment's importance

  6. Which situational variable links most closely to the perceived legitimacy of the experimenter?

    • The shape of the shock generator's switches, which were labelled in a row across the front panel
    • Uniform, such as a lab coat or other clothing that signals authority
    • The number of learners in the study, which Milgram changed across several variations of the procedure
    • Proximity, meaning how physically close the teacher is to the learner during the procedure

  7. A study shows that people are more likely to obey a stranger who is dressed in a uniform. Which explanation best fits this result?

    • Uniform signals legitimate authority, which increases obedience
    • Uniform removes personal responsibility from the person giving orders
    • Uniform makes the participant feel more closely connected to the stranger
    • Uniform reduces the participant's need for information

  8. Which result would best support the view that proximity reduces obedience?

    • Obedience was lower when the teacher was close enough to see and touch the learner than when they were in another room
    • Obedience was only affected by proximity when the experimenter was absent
    • Obedience was the same whether the learner was close or far away
    • Obedience was higher when the teacher was in another room than when they were close to the learner

  9. Milgram's proximity findings can be compared as a series. Which order is correct from highest obedience to lowest?

    • Same room, touch proximity, remote
    • Remote, touch proximity, same room
    • Remote, same room, touch proximity
    • Touch proximity, same room, remote

  10. A researcher argues that Milgram's location and proximity variations show situational rather than dispositional factors. Which conclusion is best supported?

    • Obedience is caused entirely by the learner's behaviour
    • Obedience depends only on the participant's age and gender
    • Obedience is a fixed personality trait that cannot change with the situation
    • Obedience changes with the situation, so it is not simply a fixed personality trait

  11. Which evaluation point applies to Milgram's research on situational variables?

    • The findings show that obedience is identical in all cultures
    • The study was controversial and caused participants distress
    • The research was conducted with millions of participants across many countries
    • The study was based on a case study of one person

  12. Which situation would be most likely to show obedience through the variable of proximity?

    • A shopper obeys a sign more readily when it is placed far away from the till, where they can read it more easily
    • A patient refuses medicine more often when a doctor is present in the room, since the doctor's presence seems less reassuring
    • A student ignores a teacher's instruction more often when the teacher is in the same room, because the teacher can see them
    • A worker follows a manager's instruction more readily when the manager is in the same room than when instructions are sent by email

  13. In Milgram's study, what proportion of participants continued to the maximum level when the learner was in another room and the experimenter was present?

    • Around 65 per cent
    • Around 5 per cent
    • Around 25 per cent
    • Around 100 per cent

  14. Which statement about the situational variables in Milgram's research is accurate?

    • Obedience varied with proximity and location, showing that the situation matters for obedience
    • Obedience did not vary with any of the situational variables tested, because the same participants always responded in the same way
    • Obedience was affected only by the learner's voice and not by the setting, so the room itself had no influence on participants
    • Obedience increased whenever the learner was in the same room, since the participant could see the learner's distress directly

  15. A psychologist tests whether a dispositional or situational explanation of obedience is more useful. Which finding would best support the situational view?

    • Participants who were tested at Yale always refuse to obey, because the prestige of the setting makes them more critical
    • Participants of different ages obey in exactly the same way, so age has no influence on how they respond to the experimenter
    • Changing the location of a study changes the level of obedience shown by the same type of participant
    • Participants with the same personality traits always obey to the same level, whatever the setting or the instructions given

  16. A study measures obedience in two conditions: the experimenter giving orders in person and by telephone. Which prediction is most consistent with Milgram's variables?

    • Obedience will be zero in both conditions
    • Obedience will be higher when the experimenter is present in person
    • Obedience will be identical because proximity has no effect on authority
    • Obedience will be higher by telephone, because the experimenter cannot see the participant

  17. A researcher argues that Milgram's results show that people are not simply cruel. Which finding would best support this argument?

    • Obedience fell when the learner was close, suggesting that many participants found harming a person difficult
    • Participants showed no reaction to the learner's protests, and so the closeness of the learner made no difference at all
    • Obedience rose to 100 per cent when the learner was close, because participants wanted to show the experimenter their loyalty
    • Obedience was highest when participants were most distressed, since distress made them more likely to follow instructions

  18. In the Bridgeport variation, what is the best explanation for the reduction in obedience?

    • The lower status setting reduced the perceived legitimacy of the experiment
    • Participants were given a choice to stop at any point without penalty
    • The shock generator stopped working in the new setting
    • The learner was no longer present, so there was nothing to obey

  19. Which combination of variables is correct for Milgram's situational variables in the specification?

    • Location, learning history and age
    • Proximity, location and uniform
    • Uniform, religion and language
    • Proximity, personality and gender

  20. A study finds that obedience is higher in a setting that signals authority than in a setting that does not. Which situational variable is most likely at work?

    • Proximity
    • Minority influence
    • Locus of control
    • Location

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